SoftBank is set to repurpose a former Sharp LCD panel plant in Japan into a state-of-the-art data center dedicated to operating artificial intelligence (AI) agents developed in partnership with OpenAI, the U.S.-based creator of ChatGPT, according to a report by Nikkei on Friday. 

The Japanese telecom giant plans to acquire the facility and part of the land at Sharp’s defunct TV LCD factory in Osaka for approximately 100 billion yen ($677.05 million). The data center, expected to launch in 2026, will be one of Japan’s largest, with a power capacity of 150 megawatts. 

The collaboration between SoftBank and OpenAI aims to commercialize OpenAI’s AI agent model in Japan. The initiative will involve training the model on data from client companies to offer customized AI solutions. The total investment in the project could reach nearly 1 trillion yen ($6.77 billion), Nikkei reported. 

Neither SoftBank nor OpenAI immediately responded to Reuters’ request for comment on the development.